In its latest implementation of Islamic sharia law, the Maldives government has ordered the closing of all resort and massage spas after thousands of Maldivians held protests calling for the elimination of the spas, which they call brothels and un-Islamic. We’re not just talking about closing the “rub and a tug” massage spas in the sidestreets: the facial spa at the Hilton is gone too!

The Maldives, a group of over 1,100 tiny coral islands, is often compared with Barbados as a vacation and retirement destination. Although far-removed from each other geographically, both countries compete for the same United Kingdom and European travelers. We at BFP think that the level of competition just dropped a notch or two…

Reading the magazine articles and watching the Travel Channel, you’d think that the Maldives is some sort of vacation paradise – for the islands and the surrounding Laccadive Sea are beautiful – but a virulent strain of Muslim fundamentalism has infected the population and threatens the island nation’s tourism-based economy.

Over 800,000 tourists arrived in 2011 with many Europeans and Australians among them. 60,000 British tourists arrived in 2007 which is the last year I could find statistics for.

The numbers of Western, Chinese and Japanese tourists visiting the Maldives are sure to decline though as prospective travelers read some of the news from the vacation, er, “paradise”.

The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Maldives can’t be a bad thing for Barbados tourism. If our competition wants to shut out millions of prospective visitors from markets we compete in, that’s just fine with Bajans!

Let’s look at some of the reasons why non-Muslim tourists are starting to reject The Maldives…

Violent Muslims: 2007 Terror Bombing

In September of 2007, violent Muslims set off a bomb in Sultan Park in the Maldavian capital of Malé. 12 foreign tourists were injured, including Chinese, Japanese and a honeymooning British couple who were severely injured.

Twelve terrorists (some of whom were government officials) were arrested. Some of the convicted bombers were released from jail after only three years. An Immigration officer who assisted the terrorists to leave the island spent only a year in jail.

Only three years for a Jihad terror bombing that severely injured many tourists, and one year for helping the escape. That really says everything, doesn’t it?

Increasing Muslim terrorist connections

The rise of fundamentalist Islam in the Maldives has brought the usual violent Muslims with it. India is now concerned that the Maldives are being used as a base for violent Muslims to attack southern India. Muslim terrorists base themselves where they are able to thrive and the Maldives obviously meets their needs. Recent talks between India, Pakistan and the Maldives have tried to address the issue of the latest Maldives export: violent Muslims.

But the Maldives Government tries to be “friendly” with the Muslim fanatics because they are popular… and violent.

Spread of Islamic extremism began not just recently, it has been spreading in the country since many years, but the country was in denial until late 2009. On 25th October 2009, the country’s president Mohamed Nasheed admitted for the first time that Maldivians are being involved in regional terrorist activities. He also mentioned that his government has evidence of Maldivian involvement in 26/11 Mumbai attack. Days after his comments, a video of a Maldivian who blew himself at the Intelligence headquarters in Lahore, Pakistan circulated in the internet.

Despite all the comments and evidence, Maldives government has been unable to tackle the issue for obvious reasons. Religion plays an important role in country’s politics, and no party would like to disappoint the so called religious groups who control a huge number of voters.

“You are swine and infidels… Worms may come from the tip of your penis”

“You are below a mother fucker… Your children will be bastard swine”

Thinking of getting married in the Maldives? You might want to visit Barbados instead!

“…their happiness has turned to humiliation after the wedding video was posted on YouTube and subtitles disclosed that their “Islamic blessing”, which was conducted by a hotel employee in the native Dhivehi language, was in fact a stream of insults.

“You are swine. The children that you bear from this marriage will all be bastard swine. Your marriage is not a valid one,” he intoned as the couple held up their hands in prayer, blissfully unaware of what was being said.”

“The fundamentalists got another shot in the arm not long after when the visiting UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) chief Navaneethan Pillay questioned Maldives uni-faith character that did not accept non-Muslims as citizens. Addressing the People’s Majlis, or Parliament, only a week after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became the first overseas dignitary to do so, Pillay also questioned the Maldivian law on flogging of women, describing it as inhumane and violating of international commitments by the nation. She called for a national debate.”

14 responses to “Maldives Muslim crazies are good news for Barbados Tourism”

It should be very interesting, considering the “relative isolation” of Maldives, to see how is Islamification of the country DOES effect tourism–and more directly, the economy.
The link I submit is from the CIA World Factbook [I know-it’s a conspiracy!]…but the numbers tell the tale.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mv.html
Give the place three years to fall into chaos.

Sad isn’t it…..but then in Barbados there are so-called ministers of religion who tell young girls that if they have sex before marriage they will go straight to hell. Are we actually any more enlightened than that lot? The tourist industry remains unaffected of course!

A decade after the 9/11 attacks, this groundbreaking book by a preeminent reporter takes readers deep into the struggle within the Muslim world where a growing movement defies and challenges extremism and repudiates Osama bin Laden, his deviant doctrine, and his violent disciples.

Robin Wright, an acclaimed foreign correspondent and television commentator, has witnessed the angry birth, violent rise, and globalization of Islamic militancy for almost four decades. In her recent reporting, she discovers a stunning new trend spreading within the Muslim world—the rejection of Islamic extremists. This is a historic evolution, slow to take off but now reaching critical mass. This trend is increasingly visible as clerics publicly repudiate Osama bin Laden, Muslim comedians ridicule militancy altogether, young Muslims rap against guns and bombs, women scholars launch liberation movements using the Koran, Pakistani villagers resist Taliban intrusions, and former Egyptian jihadis debate and then denounce violence.

I once studied Maldives tourism and realised the large islamic population there was not compatible with conventional lesiure tourism in the tropics. This not suprising at all. While i do not believe ofcourse that we have to get into smutt tourism -brothels, silly massage parlors etc. this islamification could indeed benifit the Caribbean.

Please be correct:
wrong: “has ordered the closing of all resort and massage spas”
right: “. . .ordered hundreds of its luxury resorts to close their spa’s . . ”
It’s a big difference if all hotels are closed or only the SPA’S in the hotels!
And believe me, these tourists they before come to Barbados they go to Thailand. If you were ever in Thailand, then you know what is “luxury” in Barbados, is “normal” in Thailand and that for half the price than in Barbados.